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Which of the books would have made a good stand-alone film?

KennonKennon
edited December 2011 in Literary 007 Posts: 297
It's become a bit of a fashion with us fans of the Fleming books to flail Eon for all the bad, bad, truly bad things they did to our favourite secret agent. Done it myself at times. Recently I became tired of the wailing. Part of what made me reconsider was how much worse us Fleming fans could have had it. Look at other series from Matt Helm to Quiller, from Travis McGee to Parker, on screen they've mostly fared much worse than Bond.

The Parker books by Richard Stark (nom de plume of Donald E. Westlake) here are a curio because some have been filmed, but never with Parker, never with a full scale series in mind. Though the books offer a lot of material for a fully realized franchise (especially looking at today's franchises and what little substance they offer) it never happened that way. The series hero (or anti-hero better) Parker was renamed, redrawn, scratched or changed to a female character. The best effort probably was '67 'Poit Blank' with Lee Marvin as Walker. This is was the closest fans ever came to see their Parker.

I wonder if things had been running differently which Fleming novel would have made a good stand alone film? Think it would still come down to 'Casino Royale' for me. The book could stand alone without all the others coming after it. It has an unconventional structure but is entertaining enough in itself. It's also the one Fleming that shows Bond with a sort of character development. It's not necessarily the best Fleming. But it's an independend work one could read and know all about the centre character.










Comments

  • BounineBounine
    edited December 2011 Posts: 2,599
    A faithful adaptation of LALD would go down a treat but I realise Bond lacks the character development in this book that we are lucky enough to have read about in Casino Royale. More of this could always be injected into the screen play. If you look at it this way you could make stand alone films for all the Fleming Bond books except for YOLT and TMWTGG as there is obvious continuity across these two books, leading on from OHMSS. A trilogy would be nice. ;)

    An even more faithful adaptation of OHMSS would work. We learn a fair bit about Bond in this book too.
  • KennonKennon
    Posts: 297
    Yes, some charater development could of course be injected into every book. In LALD's case maybe along the lines of the sceptic Bond learning about the power of the voodoo cult over its followers and about the reality of Solitaire's supernatural talent. It would not be a deep or rounded as with CR but could be done.

    OHMSS I don't see working stand alone at all, not the way the story unfolds. There'd always be a sense of the hero having to finish his assignment and avenge his wife. It would either have be reworked as Tracy getting away and Bond killing Blofeld. Or as Tracy getting away and Bond being the one to bite the bullet.
  • BounineBounine
    Posts: 2,599
    I see your point but I've seen stand alone films where the protagonist or major supporting character is killed right at the end.

    What you say about OHMSS could also be said for Casino Royale where Bond wants to go after Smersh as they were the cause or atleast indirect cause of Vesper's suicide.
  • KerrAvonKerrAvon
    Posts: 2
    FRWL
    DAF
    Casino Royale

    Several would make good stand alone films but these are my top choices.
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    Posts: 7,854
    Win, Lose or Die.
  • BounineBounine
    Posts: 2,599
    Yeah, 'Win Lose or Die' certainly has cinematic qualities like when Bond returns to the naval ship at the end.

    For Special Services would make a great film. This is my favourite Gardner Bond book.
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    Posts: 7,854
    I'm a big fan of License Renewed, which I think is Gardner's best book. After that he sort of got too complacent, but he brought it back up for a few books. Win, Lose or Die obviously, and the License to Kill novelization was good. GoldenEye stands out as his second best, I'd say.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    edited December 2011 Posts: 13,978
    Kennon wrote:
    The Parker books by Richard Stark (nom de plume of Donald E. Westlake) here are a curio because some have been filmed, but never with Parker, never with a full scale series in mind. Though the books offer a lot of material for a fully realized franchise (especially looking at today's franchises and what little substance they offer) it never happened that way. The series hero (or anti-hero better) Parker was renamed, redrawn, scratched or changed to a female character. The best effort probably was '67 'Poit Blank' with Lee Marvin as Walker. This is was the closest fans ever came to see their Parker.


    Point Blank was ok, but I thought The Outfit (Robert Duvall as Macklin) was much much better than Point Blank. And I would be open to more Parker films, especially a movie adaption of Breakout.
  • KennonKennon
    Posts: 297
    I haven't seen THE OUTFIT as yet but heard good things, must check it out soon. Really odd that Parker never made it to a film franchise, should have happened ages ago.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    I don't know Parker, but it sounds like I should. I love to read and am always looking for good novels.

    Standalone Bond for me: Well, I guess not FRWL because of the ending (otherwise yes), strangely I keep thinking Dr. No or Casino Royale.
  • VolanteVolante
    Posts: 774
    Casino Royale or Live and Let Die.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    edited January 2012 Posts: 13,978
    Kennon wrote:
    I haven't seen THE OUTFIT as yet but heard good things, must check it out soon. Really odd that Parker never made it to a film franchise, should have happened ages ago.

    Apologies for the late reply, but i've only just re-discovered this thread.

    Yes, ive thought the same myself, there are plenty of books to build a film series. I can't say i'm looking foward to 'Parker'. Jason Statham as Parker with Jennifer Lopez as his girlfriend? No, just no.
  • KennonKennon
    Posts: 297
    Statham as Parker? That's news to me. No, not a promising idea. Based on one of the later books?
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    Posts: 12,837
    MajorDSmythe wrote:
    Kennon wrote:
    I haven't seen THE OUTFIT as yet but heard good things, must check it out soon. Really odd that Parker never made it to a film franchise, should have happened ages ago.

    Apologies for the late reply, but i've only just re-discovered this thread.

    Yes, ive thought the same myself, there are plenty of books to build a film series. I can't say i'm looking foward to 'Parker'. Jason Statham as Parker with Jennifer Lopez as his girlfriend? No, just no.

    I'm also annoyed about this. Statham should stick to the expendables, I'm pretty sure the parker film will just make me hate him. And J-lo??? nuff said.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,978
    Kennon wrote:
    Statham as Parker? That's news to me. No, not a promising idea. Based on one of the later books?
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    I'm also annoyed about this. Statham should stick to the expendables, I'm pretty sure the parker film will just make me hate him. And J-lo??? nuff said.



    I think it's going to be an adaption of Firebreak, but it's going to be called Parker. Um... why not just call it whatever book it's going to be adapted from.

    And here's some set pics:

    http://www.aceshowbiz.com/images/wennpic/lopez-statham-film-set-of-parker-01.jpg
    http://www.aceshowbiz.com/images/wennpic/jason-statham-film-set-of-parker-01.jpg
    http://www.aceshowbiz.com/events/Jason Statham/jason-statham-film-set-of-parker-02.html
    http://www.aceshowbiz.com/events/Jennifer Lopez/jennifer-lopez-film-set-of-parker-03.html
  • KennonKennon
    Posts: 297
    Thanx for sharing. Confirms my feelings, not what I would have hoped for. Must be the 'Parker Curse'. Can't they leave it rather alone?
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,978
    I know what you mean. This isn't going to be the Parker we've seen or read before, instead this is going to be Statham playing a re-named version of his Frank Martin/Chev Chelios character(s).
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